Mounting assembly

ABSTRACT

A MOUNTING BRACKET COMPRISING A PAIR OF ARMS BIASED APART EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM THE STRUCTURE TO BE MOUNTED. THE BRACKET FURTHER INCLUDES A FIRST TAB AFFIXED TO EACH OF THE ARMS EXTENDING GENERALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE ASSOCIATED ARM AND A TIP PORTION AFFIXED TO EACH OF THE TABS SPACED APART FROM THE ARM AND EXTENDING GENERALLY PERPENDICULAR TO THE TAB TOWARD THE STRUCTURE. THE BRACKET IS ADAPTED TO BE USED WITH A WALL MEMBER PROVIDED WITH TWO PAIRS OF SPACED APART APERTURES. THE FIRST PAIR OF APERTURES IF SPACED APART A DISTANCE SOMEWHAT LESS THAN THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE ARMS AND THE SECOND PAIR OF APERTURES IS SPACED APART A DISTANCE SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE DISTANCE BETWEEN THE TIPS.

United States Patent [72] inventor Willis Edward Harlow Herrin, Ill.{21] Appl. No. 859,275 [22] Filed Sept. 19, 1969 [45] Patented June 28,1971 [73] Assignee Fedders Corporation Edison, NJ.

[54] MOUNTING ASSEMBLY 5 Claims, 3 Drawing Figs.

{52] U.S. CI 242/223, 248/73 [51] A47! 5/00 [50] 248/223, 224,225, 73,27; 339/126; 336/65 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS3,191,135 6/1965 Hazelquist 336/65 3,368,780 2/1968 Buttriss ABSTRACT: Amounting bracket comprising a pair of arms biased apart extendingoutwardly from the structure to be mounted. The bracket further includesa first tab affixed to each of the arms extending generallyperpendicular to the associated arm and a tip portion affixed to each ofthe tabs spaced apart from the arm and extending generally perpendicularto the tab toward the structure. The bracket is adapted to be used witha wall member provided with two pairs of spaced apart apertures. Thefirst pair of apertures is spaced apart a distance somewhat less thanthe distance between the arms and the second pair of apertures is spacedapart a distance substantially equal to the distance between the tips.

MOUNTING ASSEMBLY BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Appliances, as forexample, washing machines, include several component parts that areperiodically subjected to high torque or stress during the appliancesoperation cycle. Such a component part is the washer inlet flume which,due to the periodic surging of water therethrough, tends to rotate ormove laterally, and hence must be restrained from motion.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is the principal object of the presentinvention to provide an improved mounting structure and morespecifically a mounting structure particularly adapted to the mountingof appliance component parts to the appliance.

These and other beneficial objects and advantages are attained inaccordance with the present invention by providing a mounting bracketcomprising a pair of spaced and biased apart arms adapted to be shiftedtoward one another extending longitudinally outwardly from the structureto be mounted. A first tab is affixed to each of the arms extendinggenerally perpendicular to the associated arm and a tip portion isaffixed to each of the tabs spaced apart from the arm and extendinggenerally perpendicular to the tab directed toward the structure. Thesurface to receive the bracket comprises a relatively thin wall having afirst pair of cutouts spaced apart a distance somewhat less than thedistance between the free ends of the arms and a second pair of cutoutsspaced apart from each other a distance substantially equal to thedistance between the tip portions. Each of the first pair of cutouts issubstantially equal in length to the length of the tab while the secondpair of cutouts are each considerably smaller. Thus, the bracket may bemounted by compressing the arms toward each other sufficiently to passthe tabs through the first pair of openings. Thereafter when the armsare released the tips may be snapped into position within the second setof cutouts thereby locking the bracket in position.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings:

FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a mounting bracket and theassociated wall member in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2is a top plan view of the proposed bracket; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary front elevational view of the wall member towhich the bracket is to be mounted.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The present inventionis illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein similar componentsbear the same reference numeral throughout the several figures.Reference is now made to FIG. I in particular wherein the mountingbracket of the present invention is shown coupled to a water inlet flume12 designed to be used in a conventional home washing machine. The waterinlet flume 12 does not comprise a portion of the present invention andis used merely to establish an environment for the bracket 10. As seenmost clearly in FIG. 2, bracket 10 comprises a pair of arms 14 extendingoutwardly from a base plate 16 which in turn is fastened to thestructure (in the present case, the water fiume 12) to be mounted. Arms14 which comprise generally flat, elongated strips of plastic or metal,are secured to base 16 and diverge with respect to the longitudinal axisof structure I2 so that the free ends are spaced apart a distancegreater than the ends secured to base 16. The bracket may be formed ofany of various metals or plastics, the only requirement being that thematerial be sufficiently resilient to allow the free ends of arm 14 tobe compressed toward one another under the application of a sufficientforce and thereafter, upon the removal of the force, return to theiroriginal position.

A first tab portion 18 is aflixed to the free end of each arm 14. Eachtab 18 extends generally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of thearms away from the opposite arm and thus is generally parallel to basemember 16. In the illustrated embodiment, tabs 18 are formed by suitablybending the free ends of arms 14. The forward tip 20 of each tab 18 isbent to extend generally perpendicular to the tab directed toward thestructure. The end of tab 18 is inclined toward the free end of tip 20defining inclined surface 22. A second tab 24 is also provided extendingfrom each arm 14 spaced apart from and generally parallel to tab 18. Tab24 extends toward but short of tip 20. Similarly, tip 20 extends towardbut short of tab 24.

The bracket 10 is designed to be mounted on a relatively thin wallmember 26 which may comprise a wall of the appliance or a separatesupport strip which in turn will be mounted to the appliance. As seenmost clearly in FIG. 3, wall member 26 includes surfaces defining twopairs of apertures, an inner pair 28 and an outer pair 30. The length ofeach of the inner apertures 28 is substantially equal to or somewhatgreater than the length of tab 18. Each of the outer apertures 30 isspaced apart from the associated inner apertures 28 a distancesubstantially equal to the distance between tip 20 and arm 14. It shouldbe observed that the inner apertures 28 are spaced apart from each othera distance less than the distance between the free ends of arms 14.However, due to the resiliency of arms 14, the arms may be compressedtoward one another to permit the insertion of tabs 18 through apertures28.

In operation, the bracket 14 is readily mounted to wall member 26 byfirst compressing arms 14 toward one another to permit entry of tabs 18into the large apertures 28 in wall member 26. The compressing force onarms 14 is then removed thereby permitting the arms to relax and resumetheir normal spaced apart relationship, forcing tips 20 to snap into thesmaller apertures 30 in the wall member. To this end, the inclined faces22 of tips 20 insure the engagement of the tips and the surfaces of thewall members defining apertures 30 thereby locking the bracket inposition. The second tab 24 which is spaced apart from tab 18 a distanceonly slightly larger than the thickness of member 26 serves to preventrotation of bracket 10 once the bracket is positioned within the wallmember.

Thus, in accordance with the above, a mounting assembly is providedadapted to facilitate the mounting of a structure to a wall memberprovided with suitable cutouts.

I claim:

I. A mounting bracket comprising: a base member; a pair of spaced andbiased apart opposed arms adapted to be shifted toward one anotherextending longitudinally outwardly from said base member; a first tabaffixed to each of said arms extending generally perpendicular to thelongitudinal axis of said arms directed away from the opposite arm; atip portion affixed to each of said first tabs spaced apart from theassociated arm and extending generally perpendicular to said first tabtoward said base member; a second tab affixed to each of said armsextending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said arms directedaway from the opposite arm in the same plane as said first tab andspaced inwardly of said first tab, said second tab extending toward butshort of said first tab tip portion and said first tab tip portionextending toward but short of said second tab.

2. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein said arms divertfrom one another extending outwardly from said base member and said armsare formed of a material sufficiently resilient to enable the arms to bebrought toward one another to a position generally perpendicular to saidbase member under the influence of a sufficient force whereafter, uponthe release of said force, said arms will relax to their originaldivergent positions.

3. A mounting assembly comprising in combination: a mounting brackethaving a base member; a pair of spaced and biased apart opposed armsadapted to be shifted toward one another extending longitudinallyoutwardly toward a free end from said base member; a first tab affixedto each of said arms at said free end extending generally perpendicularto-the longitudinal axis of said arms directed away from the oppositearm; a tip portion affixed to each of said first tabs spaced apart fromthe associated arm and extending generally perpendicular to said firsttab toward said base member; a second tab affixed to each of said armsextending perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of said arms directedaway from the opposite arm in the same plane as said first tab andspaced inwardly of said first tab, said second tab extending toward butshort of said first tab tip portion and said first tab tip portionextending toward but short of said second tab and a wall member adaptedto receive said bracket, said wall member including surfaces defining afirst pair of apertures therein spaced apart a distance somewhat-lessthan the distance between the free ends of said arms and surfacesdefining a second pair of apertures aligned with said first pair ofapertures, each of said second apertures'being spaced apart from itsassociated first aperture a distance substantially equal to the distancebetween the free end and tip portion of the associated arm.

4. The invention in accordance with claim 3 wherein said arms divertfrom one another extending outwardly from said base member and said armsare formed of a material sufiiciently resilient to enable the arms to bebrought toward one another to a position generally perpendicular to saidbase member under the influence of a sufficient force whereafter, uponthe removal of said force, said arms will relax to their originaldivergent positions; said first pair 'of apertures are separated fromone another a distance substantially equal to the spacing between saidarms when said arms are in said perpendicular position; each of saidfirst pair of apertures extends transversely along said wall for adistance substantially equal to the length of said bracket first tabs;and said second pair of apertures are spaced apart from one another adistance substantially equal to the distance between said tip portionswhen said arms relax.

5. The invention in accordance with claim 1 wherein each of said firsttab tip portions extend toward but short of their associated second tabby a distance substantially equal to the thickness of the wall.

